looking for the one tonight
by YoungandNaiveStill
Summary: When sparks fly between Austin and a mystery girl at a costume party, will he be able to find her after the fact? What happens if his Juliet doesn't want to be found? T for mild language
1. kissing you

Author's Note: I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but I must be one of the oldest people in this fandom (that doesn't have a child on which I can blame watching the Disney channel). I am definitely a lot older than the actors that portray Austin and Ally, which saddens me to no end, but seriously? They sort of remind me of a young Ross and Rachel with their will they/won't they storyline. I am a sucker for this. Every character on this show is so cute and relatable, how could you not like them or want to write about them? At least that's what I think. My first Austin/Ally story, and it's based on the fact that Ross Lynch is seemingly obsessed with Franco Zefferelli's Romeo & Juliet, and that I like cliche fanfiction plots. I tried to write this story in keeping the tone of the show itself, but it would've taken place before any of the Kira/Austin/Ally love triangle stuff ever happened. Hope you enjoy, send me a review if you do.

I do not own anything.

Rating: T to M, for mild language

* * *

_looking for the one tonight_

chapter one: kissing you

"Thanks for shopping at Sonic Boom!" Ally chirped as she handed over a brand new guitar to an expectant little boy. This was her favorite part of her job, seeing kids' faces light up when getting a new instrument.

"Hey, Ally, check out my costume!" Austin bounded down the stairs and did a quick little spin move at the foot of the steps. He was decked out in Victorian garb, complete with the silver cat mask, blue puffy sleeves, and everything. He made the perfect Romeo.

Her pulse quickened as he waggled his eyebrows at her. She thought he looked adorable. She wouldn't tell him that, but she definitely thought it.

"Wherefore art thou, you look amazing, Romeo." She stepped out from behind the counter to take a closer look. Her hand ran over the luxe velvet of his costume.

His eyes twinkled as a tinge of pink lit up his cheeks. "It is the east, and Ally is the sun!" he declared with a flourish of his arm. He kneeled down on one leg, and held his hands out to her.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. Well, you are definitely channeling Zefferelli's Romeo to a T."

"Thanks, I'm glad you got the correct reference. Most girls will probably think I'm trying to be the DiCaprio version."

"The DiCaprio version wore a knight costume," Ally answered.

"I'm so glad you know that." He squeezed her against him. "Come with me to the party, Als," he pleaded with his warm, dark puppy dog eyes. She felt her resolve weakening as the funny little butterflies flew haphazardly in her stomach. Austin could ask her to shave her head and she would do it in a second.

She sighed, "You know I have to stay and close up shop tonight."

"You guys aren't that busy, can't you ask your Dad? I need a Juliet," he whined.

She gave him a look, since when had her Dad ever let her leave early? "I don't even have a costume. Go, have fun. Then tell me all about it tomorrow."

"Uggh, okay, but I won't have any fun without you there." He gave her another quick hug before running off. She looked at the empty store and set her head in her hands as she waited for closing time. She sighed again, she wished she could go to the Miami Masquerade with Austin. She wished she could go as his Juliet, although she sort of _did_ prefer the Baz Luhrman adaptation compared to the 1968 version that Austin loved. What teenaged boy even knew about that movie? He was such a romantic, it was one of the things she loved most about her best friend, and probably one of the most surprising things that anyone could learn about him. She was glad they were such close friends that she did know those details about him.

He was always doing nice things and being sweet. She was so glad they'd gotten to be better friends this year. Along with Trish and Dez, he'd helped distract her from the fact that her mother was abroad in Africa, for which she was completely thankful. She had the best friends a girl could ask for. She couldn't wait for her mom to get back next month so that she could introduce her to Austin. Her mom would totally approve.

Trish burst through the door in a ridiculous clown outfit and announced, "Guess who got a job at the costume shop!?"

"Hey, Trish! Wow, that is quite an outfit," Ally remarked, her reverie now completely broken.

"Thanks. I get to wear any costume I want for free, and I can get you one, too."

"You know I'm not going to the party. I have to work," Ally lamented, a whine creeping into her voice.

"What's this about a party?" Ally's dad walked out of the supply room, setting a bunch of boxes on the counter.

Trish explained, "It's this huge charity costume party event thing and Austin's performing. And I'm trying to convince Ally to come."

"I have to close up, Dad. It's fine," Ally insisted.

"Ally, if you want to go, you should go. You work hard enough in the store, and it's pretty slow right now, so I can close and you should go enjoy a night with your friends."

She exchanged an excited glance at Trish. "Are you sure?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course, have fun sweetie. Be home by midnight."

"Thanks, Dad!" She leapt into his arms, giving him a huge hug.

"Thanks, Mr. Dawson! Ally, let's go get you a costume!" Trish squealed.

* * *

The party spun around in Austin's eyes as people dressed as bunnies, cowboys, and zombies passed by. He had a few celebratory drinks after his performance, which was a big mistake. Colors and lights swirled around him as he fought the urge to barf all over the girl talking to him. She was wearing a barely there fairy costume and while typically he would have appreciated her effort, the glitter on her face was morphing it into a very confusing jumble of sparkle.

"Excuse me for one second," he muttered as he pushed through the crowd towards the men's room. He felt like shit. He ripped off his mask, splashed water on his face and took a few deep breaths. Shit, if Ally were here, she would have stopped him. She would have lectured him on the detriment of teen drinking, and then he would have rolled his eyes at her, but yet he would have avoided having any alcohol. Then maybe he wouldn't feel so badly. He felt a little pit form in his stomach. He wished she had been able to come with him. He wished she were here.

He stumbled back into the night, grabbing a cup of water from the bar and downing it. He was starting to feel more steady on his feet, but still not completely right. He wiped his sweaty brow; it was probably time to go home. He checked his watch, 11:30. Ally should closed up the store hours ago. He wondered if she was asleep. He searched the crowd for Dez, throwing himself back into a vertiginous spin. He rubbed his eyes, there was still too much stimulation around him. He had to sit down.

He bumped into something while fumbling around for a chair, hearing a small, "Oomphf."

"Sorry," he mumbled. He opened his eyes and stared incredulously. The word barely escaped his lips. "Juliet."

She was a petite girl, several inches shorter than him. She was adorned in an outfit matching his own, a red Victorian dress that draped over her milky skin perfectly.

He held out his hand, watching as her tiny hand fit into his larger palm. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him, her small hands tickling the back of his neck. They swayed slowly to the beat, her head sinking into his chest. His arms enveloped her small form, his hands playing with her dark brown locks.

Her grip on him tightened, effectively pulling him down towards her. He fell into a dizzying spin of fireworks and sparks as he stared into her warm eyes. He felt her stand on her tiptoes, pressing against his body as her soft lips gently grazed his, slowly working their way up to a deep, slow burning kiss. His hands fisted her hair, pulling her into him as his tongue danced along the edge of her lip, meeting hers.

When she broke from his lips, he struggled to catch his breath. He was disoriented, now a different, more uptempo song was playing. How long had they been kissing? He felt like he could do that forever, and it still wouldn't be enough. He reached up to remove the gold, feathered mask that covered her face. She put a hand on his, pushing it away, stopping him from revealing her identity.

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as little laugh lines appeared at their corners. There was something so familiar about those eyes. He blinked, trying to figure out what it was, but there was a fog clouding his memory.

"Don't be so impatient, Austin." Her voice barely registered over the thumping beat. Damn it, it was so loud.

"How do you know my name?" he shouted.

"You're Austin Moon, everyone knows you."

"What about you, what's your name?" he asked.

She smirked. "Juliet."

"No, really. Who are you?"

"I'm...I'm just a nobody. I have to go, it was a pleasure, Austin." She waved a goodbye before turning away. He grabbed her arm, holding her to him.

"Wait, I can't even have your number?"

She tipped her head back and laughed as the crowd swallowed her into its depths. He started after her, but within seconds he lost sight of her. People jumped around him, crushing him. It was too claustrophobic for him to bear.

"Hey, man. I've been looking for you everywhere!" Dez yelled in his ear, appearing at his side in his ridiculous Zaliens get up.

"Did you see her?" Austin scanned the crowd frantically. He couldn't make anything or anyone out in the mess of sweaty bodies.

"See who?" Dez tried to follow Austin's line of vision, but couldn't see anything with all the neon and strobe lights going.

"The girl, my Juliet. She was just here."

"What's she dressed as?"

"Juliet." Austin ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"She's dressed up as a random girl named Juliet? That's a horrible costume," he snickered.

"Forget about it, Dez." Austin's shoulders slumped down dejectedly. Just his luck. He was just another Romeo without a Juliet.

* * *

Author's Note: So, what did y'all think, should I continue?


	2. lovefool

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and the love! You've motivating me to keep going with this, a lot of you have tried to make me feel better about my age, but a las, still older than everyone who commented, but thanks. I have a lot of other ideas for stories, but I will do my best to finish this one before starting something else.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rating: T to M for mild language

* * *

_looking for the one tonight_

chapter two: lovefool

Ally sat at the piano, diligently scrawling notes into her songbook, as Trish sprawled out on a chair, reading the latest issue of _Cheetah Beat_. Austin and Dez burst into the space and wordlessly started pushing furniture towards one corner of the room.

"Umm…Hey guys…" Ally started, as Dez pushed the piano out from under her fingertips. He grunted an unintelligible response. Austin wheeled her bench towards the couch. "Hey, I'm still sitting on this one!"

"Sorry, but we have to make a podcast, ASAP," Austin replied seriously. She gave him a questioning look. "Need to clear this space." She examined her friend closely. He appeared flushed, slightly sweaty and tired. There were prominent bags under his eyes, telltale signs of a sleepless night. Ally wondered how late he had stayed out.

"Didn't we just post a new song like three days ago?" Trish asked as Dez made a move to push her chair. "Don't even think about it, Dez."

He put his hands up, retreating. "This isn't for a new song, Austin kissed a girl last night."

"So you're making a video about that? Stop the presses, Austin Moon kissed a girl." Trish rolled her eyes and refocused her attention on her magazine.

"Not just that, Trish. Because if it were, we'd have to make like a thousand videos," Dez replied, matter-of-factly. Austin's face twisted.

Both girls looked at each other with disgust and stated in unison, "Eww."

"Dez, it's not a thousand girls!" Austin insisted. He leaned over to Ally, "Seriously, not a thousand girls." She made a knowing face at Trish.

"I only kissed one girl there, and now I'm trying to find her. We're making a video hoping that she'll see it."

"Austin! That's so romantic!" Trish squealed, leaping up off her chair. Ally pursed her lips, her eyes staring off at any direction other than at any of her friends. "But, here's an idea, there's this thing called the internet, why don't you just do a search?"

"That's the problem, she didn't tell me her name," he sighed. He plopped down on the bench beside Ally, his elbows on his knees. She shifted slightly to her right, so that no part of their bodies touched.

"What? Austin, that's usually the first thing you ask a girl…" Trish frowned at him.

'Thanks for the lesson on being a human being, but she just wouldn't give it up. We kissed and she got all coy and shy. Before I could pin her down and get it out of her, she ran off, just before midnight." He leaned over, resting his head against Ally's shoulder.

Ally chuckled, standing up and walking over to stand next to Trish. "Did she leave a glass slipper behind? Or leave in a giant pumpkin?" she joked, her fake laugh apparent.

"I wish, then I would've had something to go on." Austin stood up and slipped his arms around the girls' shoulders. He mimed a screen with his hands in front of their faces. "Guys, it was perfect. Picture this, it's completely dark except for the stars twinkling down on the both of us. I'm a little buzzed, not watching where I'm going and I literally run into this girl. Suddenly she's in my arms and we're just dancing. Then she goes for it and kisses me." His eyes glazed over in a dreamy stare.

"Ooh, that sounds so romantic!" Trish and Dez were practically giddy, their eyes glassy as they hung on Austin's every word. Ally smiled a little bit and just nodded even though his description left a little to be desired.

"It was the perfect kiss, soft and gentle, but hot. I just felt something. Afterwards, it felt like the universe shifted, everything was different, like I was looking at things from a new perspective. That's why I have to find her. I've never felt anything like that ever before," he drifted off, remembering the way her lips fit perfectly with his.

"You have to find her," Trish breathed. She reached out for Ally's hand and gave it a squeeze. "What do you know about her?"

"She's got soft hair, and these dark, shining eyes. And she's got these long lashes. She had these full red lips and rosy cheeks."

"Oh yeah, that's narrowing it down," Dez quipped.

"Well, it was so dark, and so loud, I couldn't really hear her. I wish I had more, but that's all I got."

"It's a start…" Trish offered, twisting her curls in her fingers. She looked at Ally, whose gaze was fixated on some invisible spot on the ground.

"All I know is that when we touched it was like…magic."

"Aww," Trish swooned. Ally felt a little nauseated.

"You're forgetting that one last detail," Dez goaded.

Austin inhaled deeply, his eyes turning to meet Ally's, "Oh yeah, you know what the best part was?"

"What?" Ally gulped.

"She was dressed as Juliet, exactly like the 1968 version, matched to my Romeo," he whispered as if it were his little secret.

Trish's eyes widened as she stared open mouthed at Ally. Ally gave her a subtle shake of the head as a warning. She dug her nails into her best friend's palm to keep her from spilling all her guts.

"Well, we're going to let you guys do your video thing, come on, Ally." Trish practically ripped her from the room and down the stairs.

"Allyson Dawson, you have some explaining to do!" Trish yelled.

"Shh, Trish, they'll hear you," she tried to hold a finger to her friend's mouth, only for it to be knocked out of the way.

"I don't care who hears, Ally. You kissed Austin and you didn't even tell me? We've been sitting up there all morning!" She stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes slightly bugged out. Trish was scary as fuck when she wanted to be.

She held out her hands to placate her. "I know you're mad. But I wasn't counting on him remembering it, so I thought it would just blow over. I mean, he was pretty wasted, so it's a miracle he even felt anything. And it was like so loud, and super dark, and I could barely even hear him…"

"Ally! You're rambling…"

"I would've told you eventually. I just didn't really know what to do, I mean I kissed my best friend," she explained sheepishly. A big chunk of hair found its way into her mouth, her brow furrowing into a worried grimace as she chewed furiously.

Trish's eyes softened as she took in the image before her. She couldn't be mad at Ally, she knew how conflicted she must have felt. "Ally, do you like Austin? Is that why you kissed him?"

Ally shrugged, "I don't know. I was just so happy to see him, but he didn't recognize me and it was all so romantic, and I don't know what came over me. One minute we were just dancing, the next his lips were right in front of me. And I've watched his mouth move a million times, and I just wanted to see what it would feel like to kiss Austin Moon, you know? To have that moment, to be that girl. I mean, things like that just don't happen to me, you know? So I had to do it. You know that when I have a costume on, I get all kinds of crazy self-confidence. Remember Halloween?"

Trish nodded, remembering the night Ally got up on stage as Galexis Nova to sing with Austin. That was their first duet, and was around the time that Trish had realized that her two friends were MADE FOR EACH OTHER. She was glad she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"But then I totally freaked after it happened and he asked me what my name was and I panicked. So I ran off before he could figure it out," she said, the shame creeping in her voice. "I'm a big chicken."

Trish leaned over and put her arm around her friend as Ally kept chewing her hair. The shorter girl's face suddenly lit up with recognition. "Ally, this was your first kiss! This is huge!"

"I know," she sighed. "It is pretty exciting, isn't it?" Ally gushed with a huge smile plastered to her face. "Even if he doesn't know it was me, at least I know that it was pretty good for him too."

Trish enveloped her in a hug and the two jumped up and down in unison. "Pretty good? I believe he overused the word perfect like a hundred times."

"Okay, Trish, it _was_ perfect. There he was, just standing there, all strong and solid and I just had to feel him."

"Well, how did it feel?" she asked expectantly.

"Like a billion fireworks went off." Both girls swooned on the inside. "His lips are really soft. His skin is like silk and he smells so good. We danced and our eyes met, and he's right, it just all felt so different after that."

Trish nudged her, "You do like him."

Ally's cheeks glowed pink. "Well, I don't know. Maybe? But it's Austin. Isn't that weird? It's kind of confusing, but I know that I don't want him to know it was me."

"Why not?" Trish questioned, knowing full well that Ally was suffering from some serious overthinking. She could be such a head case sometimes.

"Because it might ruin our partnership and friendship!" she exclaimed.

"It wouldn't!" Trish was adamant. She was pretty sure that if they got together, Austin and Ally would become the cutest couple in the world and be pretty much perfect.

"What if he gets disappointed when he finds that his mystery girl is me? I don't want to risk that. I mean, he doesn't even notice me that way. It doesn't even compute to him that I could be the girl."

"He's not the sharpest tool in the shed…but he could get there, with some help," Trish encouraged, her eyes hopeful.

"Also, he knows that I knew what he was wearing, so I run the risk of looking like some sort of crazy stalker who was waiting to attack him with kisses."

"Oh-kay, I doubt he would think that. He'd probably be really flattered. And what if he likes you back?"

"I highly doubt that," Ally muttered, her head down.

"Why not?" her friend demanded.

"He's Austin Moon, Mr. Internet Sensation, he can date anyone. If he wanted to date me, he would have. We've been friends for like a year."

"What if he feels the same way about the partnership as you do? He might be trying to protect his feelings if he thinks you're not into him the way he's into you."

Ally's face scrunched. "Now you're just confusing me."

"I think you should tell him," Trish declared, her mouth set in a firm line.

"I think we should let this whole thing blow over soon, and we can all forget about it and move on with our lives. I got my moment, I got to experience the perfect first kiss with my best friend."

"But he doesn't know about it."

"And it's going to stay that way, Trish. Promise me." She held out her pinky. "Trish." The girl reluctantly hooked her pinky with Ally's.

"You can't tell me you wouldn't do it again. You just said things changed for you. You have feelings for him, you like him Ally. Subconciously, he likes you, too."

Ally shrugged, "Maybe. I'm happy with the way things are between us. I wondered how it would be, I now know, and I want things to stay the same. As friends. End of story." She walked off to help a customer, punctuating the end of their conversation. Trish just rolled her eyes in frustration, knowing that Ally couldn't ignore her feelings forever and that once the door on the relationship was open, she wouldn't be able to close it again.

* * *

A/N: Hope you're all pleased with the identity of the mystery girl. Keep the comments coming!


	3. 1 Crush

A/N: Thanks for the comments, here's a little more insight on the kiss from Ally's POV and a little bit of Austin jealousy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rating: T

* * *

_looking for the one tonight_

chapter 3: #1 Crush

"Remember that thing you said about things blowing over soon?" Trish asked wryly as she tossed the latest issue of _Cheetah Beat_ onto the counter. A giant heart with Austin's face in its center adorned the cover.

"The Search for Austin Moon's Mystery Masked Maiden. Good use of alliteration, I guess?" Ally replied, pushing the magazine back towards Trish.

"This is getting out of hand," Trish stated, hopping up to seat herself on the counter.

"Oh, you have no idea. There have been girls coming into the store claiming to be the mystery girl all week. I didn't think this would end up being that big of a deal."

Boy, had Ally been wrong. After Austin and Dez posted their latest podcast about his mystery girl, the video had gone viral within days, and the boys had been flooded with hundreds of phone numbers and messages from desperate girls (and a few guys) claiming to be his Juliet. It had been over two weeks and there was no sign of the fervor dying down at all. This was so typical, theme of her life.

"Hey guys." Austin casually strolled into Sonic Boom and rested his elbows on the counter across from Ally. He leaned towards her and flashed her a devastating smirk. Flustered, she flailed her arm out and knocked over a jar holding pens, hastily picking up the pens and jamming them back inside haphazardly. Austin gave her a suspicious glance as Trish cleared her throat.

"Hey, Austin. How goes the search?" Trish asked, her eyes firmly planted on Ally.

"Well, I met up with a bunch of girls over the past few days, and no luck yet."

"Oh, don't sound so tortured, Austin," Ally pointed out. "I'm sure you're loving it." He stuck his tongue at her, and she mimed him. Trish rolled her eyes, but both teens remained oblivious to her.

"How are you figuring this out anyway, are you kissing all of them?" Trish asked before scooting away from him.

"No, Trish, you think I'm that big of a manwhore?" he asked with mock hurt. She shrugged and got a playful push from her blonde friend. "I ask each girl to describe the mask she was wearing that night."

"What was it?" she implored, still staring directly at Ally.

"I'm not telling anyone that detail, that way I'll be able to tell if she's the real Juliet or not. It was pretty unique, I haven't seen anything like it before. No one's gotten it right yet."

"Good call, Austin," Ally stated, her eyes firmly focused on the ground.

"Trish, that reminds me, I know you were working at the costume shop last week, are you sure you don't remember anyone coming in and renting that costume? Or returning it? I checked some of the other stores around and none of them have anything like it."

"Nope, and unfortunately there were no records of the rental of that costume either," Trish covered smoothly as Ally cowered down.

Thank goodness Trish was terrible at her job and forgot to log their names or else Ally's little secret would have been revealed.

Austin shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll keep looking. She's bound to turn up somewhere."

"Sometimes the one we're looking for is often closer than you think," Trish offered sagely. Ally gave her a closed-lipped smile and shook her head.

"Hopefully, I'm sort of getting tired of all these girls calling. I mean, I never thought I'd say that, but I mean it. It's kind of exhausting," he sighed. "Well, I gotta go meet up with Dez. Just wanted to check in and see what's up, I'll see you guys later."

Once Austin was out of earshot, Ally started to scold her friend, "Trish…"

"This is your own fault, you know. He's going to come to the conclusion on his own."

"Well, if the past is any indicator, it may take him a few years, so I think I'm safe."

Always playing it safe, Trish thought disdainfully. She wished her friend could see herself the way others knew Austin saw her. Then maybe she would believe she was good enough for Austin. Trish didn't know what was going to do it, but she knew it would probably take a miracle to get these two together. Because if she knew her best friend, and she definitely did, she knew Ally was going to deal with her feelings the best way she knew how…by avoiding them, and avoiding the source.

* * *

Ally sat in the food court, her legs stretched out, journaling in her book. She closed her eyes and basked in the sun. Things had been so crazy lately with the hoopla surrounding Austin, it was starting to wear on her. She hadn't been doing it on purpose, but she had been avoiding him lately. She did not need the constant reminder of that night. It was replayed on loop in her mind anyway. She didn't need to be confronted with the whole masquerade business, it was terrible how everyone was so obsessed with it.

_She_ was trying to forget it, but no one would let her.

_The humid Miami night hung like a blanket over her shoulders. She was starting to regret wearing the stupid Juliet costume, it was so heavy and hot. Plus her mask smelled musty and was choking her. All because she wanted to surprise Austin, and see the look on his face when he saw her Juliet, matched to his Romeo. She snaked her way through the gyrating bodies, but didn't see him anywhere. This was hopeless, she would never find him in the sea of people that swarmed around her._

_She felt something hit her from behind, knocking the wind out of her. She winced and looked up at the offender, gleaming in a halo of moonlight. Her Romeo. Her lips curled into a wide smile as his face stared back at hers. His licked his full lips as he breathed her name, "Juliet."_

_The cloak of night enveloped the two of them, and everything else seemed to blur around her. The shadows somehow cast their darkness on everything else but his shining face, revealing his beautiful features to only her. It struck her that she had never held his hand before and was surprised at how strong and big his palm was. She barely brushed the thought from her mind before it escalated to darker places, sending a blush to her cheeks. She stood on her tiptoes to reach around him, feeling the little hairs stand up on the nape of his neck. Her body fit to his like a missing puzzle piece to its match. His hands curled in her hair, roaming down her back, making her feel as if she were falling, weightless. _

_And then there they were, his lips. Millimeters from her face. Slightly parted, barely quivering. Then somehow they were connected, the warmth from her own tongue spreading to his. It was a tingling fire that engulfed more and more of her every second that passed. He tasted a little bit like whisky, a little bit like cherry jolly rancher, and all like Austin. _

_Every muscle in her body contracted, every nerve ending was sparked. The beating of her heart played in time with his, until her lungs fought her mind and won. Their breaths both ragged, their eyes both crazed with lust. His hand reached up to reveal her, but she caught him, sending another shiver down both their spines. _

_She wasn't quite sure what passed from her lips, the words that left did not feel like her own. And they weren't. Because she was brand new. The kiss changed everything._

_His warm, imploring eyes searched hers for answers. If he had been sober, he would have seen the worry and despair in hers. A thousand thoughts of rejection, disgust, loneliness and emptiness filled her mind as the only possible outcomes that would come from this. It was crippling to her, the fear of losing him. And that's why he could never know._

A shadow fell over her and she slowly opened her eyes. Austin looked down at her, his smiling face a bittersweet distraction. "Hey."

"Hi, what are you doing out here by yourself?" he asked, noting that she looked less than enthused to see him. He wondered if he had done something wrong. Lately, he'd noticed that she would conveniently find something to do while he was around or not talk to him at all. He was sure she thought he wouldn't notice, but he definitely did. He supposed he had been busy with all of this other stuff going on in his life, and maybe he had been neglecting her a little bit? Maybe that's what she was mad. They had barely spoke two sentences to each other since he last saw her and Trish at Sonic Boom a week before.

"Just enjoying the day and catching up on some writing. I'm meeting my chemistry partner here in a little, I'm going to help him study for our test next week."

Austin's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really?" He pulled the chair opposite hers out and plopped down. "I feel like I haven't seen you much lately."

"Oh yeah? Well you've been busy with the search and all," she tossed, casually.

His brow crinkled. "We need to set some time to write a new song. I've been kicking something around, but I'm going to need some help."

"Awesome, can't wait to hear it. How about tomorrow?" she offered to placate him. His dark brown eyes lingered over her book, and she shut it before he could make out any of the script. She was so damn protective of that book. Sometimes he wished he could just read it so he could figure her out. She was such a mystery sometimes. She didn't act like other girls he knew, she was serious and smart and careful and sensitive, without being dramatic and insecure. She was just Ally. And right now, she was frustrating the hell out of him.

"Yeah, that sounds good. So, what else is new with you?"

"Not much, just working in the store." They both looked at each other silently, their passive game of mental chess moving forward. Austin hated this. It was as if she had nothing to say to him, and that he was fighting to make conversation. "What are you up to today?"

"I'm meeting Dez here in a little bit."

"Oh, cool."

Ally's lab partner, Elliott, walked up to the pair with a puzzled look on his face. "Hey, Ally, Austin. Ally, we were supposed to meet now, right?"

"Yeah, Austin was just keeping me company until you came. He was just leaving. See ya, Austin." She looked up with the other boy with a bright smile and Austin felt a little twinge of envy towards the guy who took his seat.

"See you tomorrow. I'll text you before I come over." She barely nodded at him as her attention was focused on Elliott.

He watched as the two pulled out their books and Elliott scooted his chair closer to Ally's. He was practically laying on her, he was so close. Okay, maybe not, but Austin felt the jealousy seep into his veins as Ally tossed her head and laughed at something Elliott said. That guy wasn't even funny.

"Hey, Austin," Dez walked up to him. "Who's that guy with Ally?"

"Hey." He continued to sneak looks at Ally as Dez prattled on about something.

"Austin, are you okay? You look bummed." Dez followed Austin's line of vision to Ally, and suddenly things clicked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What were you saying?" Austin replied tersely.

"Who's with Ally?"

"Her lab partner, Elliott."

"Isn't that the captain of the water polo team?"

"No," he retorted.

"The senior who was voted most likely to become a model?" Dez poked, knowing his friend was in full out jealous mode.

"NO! He's just some guy in her chemistry class. He's no one special."

Dez nodded slowly, "Oh, I see what this is."

"What, what is?" Austin asked testily. Dez couldn't master his times tables and he was suddenly so in tune to the emotions of others?

"You're jealous of that guy because he gets to spend time with her. Alone."

Austin rebuffed, "I get to spend more time with her than anyone else."

"But not lately. You miss her."

"I don't miss her. She's like a hundred feet away from us. I see her all the time," he insisted.

"But you don't get her to yourself," the redhead argued.

Austin laughed it off while his blood slowly boiled. "You're being ridiculous Dez." He stalked off towards Mini's, leaving Dez to shake his head at his best friend.

Dez may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he could see how clueless Austin was about his feelings for Ally. And it was a shame, he thought they'd make a great couple, like a love story out of a movie or something.

* * *

A/N: Even Dez can see it, sort of, how long do you think it will take Austin? Review and let me know how it's going, or if his denseness is just starting to frustrate you :)


	4. Angel

A/N: Thanks again for the reviews, they are super motivating. Here's a little Austin and Ally piano bench flirtation action, if you enjoy, leave a note!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rated T to M for mild language

* * *

_looking for the one tonight_

_4: Angel_

Ally's undivided focus was on her fingers as they danced across the keys. Her eyes squeezed shut as her pace picked up, letting her hands flow freely, filling the room with the melody. The image of his serene face as she kissed him appeared from its hiding place in her memories as she played on. She loved these solitary moments when she could just feel the music and express herself through it. It was often times easier for her to do that than to actually communicate in words what she wanted to say.

Austin cleared his throat, startling her clear up off the bench. She turned to look at him just leaning in the doorway. How could he be so nonchalant, so effortless? He wore a simple gray hoodie over a white t-shirt and jeans and the mere sight of him tugged at the muscles in her heart. He had no idea his effect on everyone around him. His humble unawareness was refreshing but so frustrating all at once.

Although she implicitly denied any escalating feelings to Trish, kissing him had only potentiated the way she thought and felt about him. Avoiding contact with him had only made him more pervasive in her thoughts. It's like he had taken up residence in her head; it was completely insidious and super annoying. Her heart could not win the battle against her head, she wanted to be around him, but the more she was around him, the more likely she was to reveal herself. At this point, him finding out would be very embarrassing, since it had been weeks since the party and if he found out now, it would just make her seem weird and crazy. No, there was definitely no turning back now.

He ran a hand through his intentionally mussed hair and her breath caught in her throat. Despite the momentarily lapse in actually knowing how to speak, somehow she managed to choke out a strangled, "Hey."

"Hey. Sorry to interrupt, you looked like you were really getting into it. What's got you so deep in thought?" He stepped into the room and stood before her, just a few feet away, but so much further apart in her mind.

She smiled shyly, giving him a small shrug. "Oh, nothing. What's up?"

"Ready to work on the song I've been thinking about?" he asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure if she was going to be in one of her standoffish moods or if she was going to welcome him with open arms. He hoped it was the latter; he had missed working with her more than he realized he would. She had just been so weird lately and it better not have to do anything with that Elliott character.

"Of course." She patted the bench next to her and he slipped down beside her. He unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket, and she leaned in to make out his shorthand. "Wow, these lyrics are awesome!" His eyes shined down with pride at her as she swallowed hard several times. She couldn't get rid of the damn lump that had formed in her throat. Being around him was now wreaking havoc on a visceral level.

"Well, don't sound so surprised," he stated, tilting his head towards her. Her eyes popped open, and he laughed at her stricken look. She opened her mouth to put her foot in it, but he elbowed her in the shoulder. "Ally, I'm just teasing you, I know you're the songwriting guru. See, I'm having some trouble with the melody part. I have most of the lyrics done. This part is the chorus." He leaned over to spread the lyrics out in front of them, his scent crashing like a wave in her face. That delicious Austin sweaty boy cologne mix.

She silently memorized the lyrics and closed her eyes. She opened them to see him gazing at her intensely. That made her shudder a little bit. He reddened, absorbing her embarrassment at being caught staring.

"Sorry," he muttered, retraining his gaze onto the black and white keys.

"It's okay. I think I've got something." She played a few notes in succession as his eyes lit up. She continued to play and tap her feet as the song formed itself. She sang along as he hung onto her every word. It was such a shame that she such bad stage fright; her voice was beautiful and he could listen to her sing all day.

"That's perfect! Ally you're a genius!" He reached over and hugged her to his shoulder. She felt like her insides would burst.

"Let's put the whole thing together, music and lyrics. Play along with me," she breathed, her voice barely audible.

She pressed her fingertips to the keys as his voice sang out. It was her turn to stare at his lips, parting and breathing life into their new song. He was mesmerizing, and she couldn't help it.

Their hands briefly touched on the keys, sending a shock up both their spines. As quickly as they had come together, their hands jumped away from the other, as if they'd been burned. Their eyes flickered in alignment once more before Ally broke the connection.

"So, is this song about the masked Juliet?" she asked innocently. He nodded, still trying to catch his bearings. There was no denying the feeling they both got with these brief touches. He loved the rush he felt whenever it happened, he just prayed that _she_ didn't realize how out of sorts it made him.

Ally uncurled her toes, and tried to will the downy hairs on her arms to flatten. "How goes the mystery girl search, anyway?"

He sighed. "Still frustrating. Seems like there are no leads at all, like this girl didn't exist at all."

"Like she's a nobody?" Her hand twitched and her eyes widened. Her mouth opened but then closed immediately, stopping herself from saying anything else that would incriminate her.

Austin's eyes narrowed perceptibly as she imagined the little hamster wheel in his head rapidly turning. "Nobody?"

"I mean, not a nobody, that's not a nice thing to say, she's obviously a somebody, somebody out there. Miami is a really big city," she stammered, getting up off the bench.

"Yeah. I'm finding that out." He swiveled around to face her. "It's too bad you weren't there that night, I know you would have remembered her."

"Yeah, well I was here, working," she shrugged off his comment with a smile. She quickly changed the topic, "Oh, I was going to ask you, what are you doing May 11th?"

"Nothing yet. Why, are you asking me out, Miss Dawson? Just so you know, I expect the whole nine yards, dinner, movie, everything. I don't give it up for free, you know."

"Says the guy who's looking for a date by casting a public internet video. Don't flatter yourself, my mom's coming home and we're having a little get together for her book signing party. I was wondering if you could perform a few songs."

"Of course I'll be there, I'd love to do it! You must be so excited that your mom's coming back." He got up and walked towards her as she slowly continued to back away from him. The back of her legs hit the doorframe, effectively trapping her.

"You have no idea. I'm really excited for you to meet her, and for her to hear you sing my songs. She's the best," she mused, a giant smile on her face.

"Well, she made you, so yeah, I knew that already," he stated matter-of-factly, eliciting another flush of her cheeks. He nearly closed the gap between then, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Ally's face melted as her heart thudded a quick beat in her chest. "You're so sweet, Austin, thanks." She could almost feel his sweet breath on her forehead and her eyelids fell, effectively shutting her eyes to their proximity.

"Ally, can you bring down a roll of receipt paper!?" her father called up.

"Sure, be right down!" She braced her hand against his shirt, pushing him away as she steadied herself. She rummaged through a desk drawer and hurried out the door as Austin looked after her. The perceptible heat in the room cooled immediately after she walked out the door. He let out the collective breath he had been holding as his eyes followed the gentle swish of her sundress down the stairs. What was wrong with him?

He walked back over to the piano and replayed the chords to their new song, but stopped abruptly.

There was something that didn't sit right with him about the comments she made. Could she be his mystery girl? She'd been working, but what if she had come to the party afterwards? But she knew what he had been wearing and thus she would have known that she was kissing him, her best friend. She wouldn't have kissed him, would she? Nah, that wasn't something Ally would do.

It seemed like she didn't mind their closeness a few seconds ago, though. _He_ wouldn't mind if she was his mystery girl. They worked closely all the time, of course he noticed her cute little smiles and how her eyes always sparkled when she was concentrating on a song. He loved her passion and her energy about music. He loved writing with her. He liked the way she laughed at his jokes. He liked being around her.

But, she wouldn't let him go on this long without telling him that she was the one for whom he was looking. She wouldn't watch, no she _couldn't_ watch him go out with all these other girls and practically audition them and parade them around right in front of her. No, that wasn't her style. Because he knew that kiss meant something, it was a spark, a livewire, and if he felt it, it had to mean that the girl felt it, too. It had to mean that she was out there feeling the same thing as he was. Ally loved love. She wouldn't ignore that kiss. The way the mystery girl boldly gripped his neck, kissing him, was so raw, so organic and spontaneous. It couldn't be Ally, that's something she would never do. He was sure of it.

* * *

A/N: So, yes, Austin's still in the dark about things...review and you shall receive progress :). I've also been working on a Raura story, which I've never done before (written about real people), so I feel a little weird about it. May be posting up the first chapter to see how it's received, but we'll see though.


	5. local god

_A/N: Thanks for the continued support of this story, love reading all the reviews and seeing all the follows/favorites. So I wasn't going to post my Raura story, but after seeing the pictures from the event yesterday, I can't like not. They've compelled me to do it, so watch out for it, if you're into that kind of thing—it's called Everlong. And sorry for the events in this chapter ahead of time, tell me how you feel about it in a review ;). _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Rating: T to M for language_

_looking for the one tonight_

_5: local god_

Ally watched from behind the counter as Megan, the young reporter from _Cheetah Beat_, snapped picture after picture of Austin in ridiculous poses for the next issue's cover. He had been front-page news for weeks now. People were eating this whole mystery girl thing up, and Austin was milking it for what it was worth. This news story had even spread beyond Miami, seemingly every woman in America who read the story of Romeo looking for his Juliet collectively swooned at the sensitive, caring crooner. Ally bet Jimmy Starr was just loving all the free publicity.

She on the other hand was not. All anyone wanted to talk about was Austin. If not _Cheetah Beat_, it was local reporters or South Beach Sound swarming around Sonic Boom all the time looking for a new angle on the story. Those new angles usually revolved around them interviewing her for her take on the story. She was always played up as the dowdy, plain songwriting partner which was annoying but at least it afforded her the opportunity to stay hidden in the shadows. However, she just knew that with a little digging, someone was going to out her, or that she or Trish would slip up and reveal the true identity of Juliet.

She was just within earshot to hear the conversation between Austin and the young blogger. Well, everyone in the store was within earshot, Megan had a voice that carried. "Let's say this girl is a _Cheetah Beat_ reader, what would you like to say to her?"

Austin gave his best sensitive boy face to the young girl, batting his eyelashes at her and making her fidget. "Well, Juliet, if you're out there, please let me know, give me a sign or something. If you're embarrassed, I get it, but I want to make sure I'm not wasting my time here."

Megan's face fell. "Why would you think the girl would be embarrassed?"

"Well, unless this girl lives under a rock, I'm assuming she's seen my videos by now, and she knows I'm looking for her. She knew who I was that night. So I'm guessing the reason she hasn't responded is that she is embarrassed she kissed me…or it was a terrible kiss…but I don't think _that_ was the case," he playfully added, his eyelashes fluttering.

God, he was charming, a public relations dream, Ally thought. Megan was just eating it up. The little girl was biting her lip, her eyes wide and shining up at him. She was hanging on every syllable he uttered. Ally would have thought it ridiculous if she didn't feel the same way, too. This was her personal hell.

He continued, "Anyway, I just need to know that I wasn't alone in what I felt. There was this spark and I need to know if she felt it, too."

Megan exhaled deeply. "Aww, I'm sure that's not the case. No girl would turn Austin Moon down."

Austin's phone buzzed and he politely excused himself from the girl who had her chin in her hands gazing up dreamily at him. She sighed and looked around to see if anyone had noticed her daydreaming on the job. Her eyes met with Ally's across the room and she came bounding over.

"Ally!" Megan shouted, her high pitch making Ally wince. Megan grabbed her hand and pulled her over to within feet of Austin, who was busy talking to someone on the phone in hushed tones.

"Oh, hi Megan, how are you?" Ally asked as enthusiastically as could muster.

"I'm totes fabulous! Isn't Austin's search the cutest thing ever?" Megan gushed.

"It's totes cute," the elder girl replied with a wry smile.

"Can I get some quotes from you to use in my article?"

She hesitated, "Umm, sure, but why would you want to quote me?"

"Well, you're Austin's best friend and you know him best. Who better to comment on the whole situation?" Megan declared, with a silent 'Duh.' "You have to think like a journalist, Ally."

"Okay…well then shoot."

"So why do you think the girl hasn't come forward yet?" the little girl asked.

"How would I know?" she retorted a bit too sharply. She softened a bit and gave a weak smile. "I mean, maybe she's just shy or something?"

She mentally fact checked so that she didn't reveal too much to the writer. Megan may be young, but she was cunning and could be super manipulative. She didn't even want to know what Megan would be like when she actually hit her teens.

"I just think it's totes ridic that she would leave Austin hanging like this. I mean, he just seems so sad."

"Well, she doesn't know what she's missing. Austin is a terrific guy. A really great guy," she stated diplomatically.

"If you were the girl, wouldn't you want to date him?" Megan asked innocently.

Ally bit her lip, "Well, Austin's my best friend, so that's kind of a hard question to answer, Megan. You see, it's a little compli-"

Austin interrupted their conversation, grabbing Ally by the shoulders, his lips moving a mile a minute.

Ally held out her hand to stop him. "Wait what? Austin, slow down, I can't understand you."

His face glowed with excitement, "Dez thinks he found the girl!"

Ally's jaw dropped, "What?" Megan jumped up and down, clapping her hands. She was going to get the scoop and she had a front row seat to see Austin's love story unfold.

"This girl contacted us today via the website and described the mask pretty damn well. I think we found her, Als!" He swept her up in a big hug, practically picking her up off the ground. When he let her go, he looked into her eyes and for one second, he thought he saw a flicker of sadness.

But her eyes shined and she barely whispered, "That's so great, Austin. Congrats."

"I gotta go, I'm meeting her in a few hours. Wish me luck, Ally."

"Luck," she wished, but he was already gone.

Ally backed up and held onto the counter for balance. What. The. Fuck?

"Ally, you look a little pale, are you okay?" Megan looked up at her, a frown line etched on her forehead.

She blinked, forgetting that the girl was still there. "Oh, I'm fine. Just thinking of something that I need to order for the store, no big deal. So, this should make an even more exciting exclusive for you, right? Austin finding his girl?"

"I know, I am fah-reak-ing. My editors are going to love this. I gotta go follow Austin." She scurried off to follow Austin as Ally retreated to her spot behind the counter.

How could it be? She didn't even know what to make of the situation.

Trish blew in through the doors, speaking rapidly in Spanish.

Ally sighed, setting her chin in her hands. "Trish, you're doing it again."

"Lo siento. I mean, sorry. What is this all about, Ally?" She showed her the text from Dez alerting her to the discovery of the mystery girl. Ally just shrugged.

"I don't know Trish. Apparently this girl knows enough details to convince Dez and Austin that she's Juliet."

"How is that possible?" The shorter girl paced about, making Ally even more uneasy.

"I don't know, camera phones?" she deadpanned. She suddenly felt very tired, her stomach twisting with an uneasy feeling. She felt a little clammy, lightheaded, and generally unwell. This is why Ally Dawson rarely lied, her guilt always manifested itself into a conversion disorder.

"Well you have to do something!" Trish said through gritted teeth.

"Do something about what?" Ally asked.

"You can't let him go out with a girl crazy enough to stalk him and take pictures of him at this party then use the information to trick him into going out with her!"

"Well the alternative is revealing that it was me, so which one is the less awkward?" She may have felt guilty, but she was much more frightened of how Austin would react to the revelation that she was his mystery girl. He'd hate her. Or even worse, he'd laugh at the thought of it.

"Oh my god, Ally." Trish threw her hands up in the air, pacing around. She was starting to get really pissed at her best friend. She wanted to shake her. How could she just let this happen. She was so effing passive.

"Maybe this will all work out and she and Austin will live happily ever after."

"Have you even read Romeo & Juliet? It's a tragedy, which is exactly what this is going to end up as." She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Don't be dramatic, Trish." Ally rolled her eyes.

Her eyes bugged out even more, scaring Ally a little bit. "Are you serious? This girl could be a serial killer."

"Or she could be a stalker, with a mask on, who secretly kisses her best friend in disguise. Oh wait, that's me," Ally noted flippantly, her tone making Trish want to scream.

"That's different," she insisted.

"How so? It'll be fine. He'll either realize she's not the one or he'll fall madly in love with her." Ally calmly walked up the stairs to the practice room as Trish fought herself from ripping out her own hair. This was only going to end poorly, Trish knew it.


	6. everybody's free

_A/N: Thanks again for the reviews and for sticking with me through the frustrating parts of this story. Not to worry though, I think Austin is going to be catching on to things pretty soon. If you haven't checked it out, I have another story called Everlong, which is a bit of a departure thematically, so you should read it if you're into the Raura stuff. Keep the reviews coming, I love hearing your frustrations about Austin's lack of insight._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

_Rating: T for mild language_

* * *

looking for the one tonight

6: everybody's free

Austin rushed into the store, seeing Dez up on a ladder hanging up a banner that said, "WELCOME HOME, MOM!"

"Austin! You're late, she's almost here," Ally said breathlessly. She was dressed head to toe in all of the souvenirs her mother had sent her over the past few months. She was frazzled, her hair askew and her cheeks rosy. To everyone else she probably looked ridiculous, but Austin thought she looked adorable. She had been so excited for her mom to arrive, and he was glad it was finally upon them. It made her happy and what made her happy made him feel the same.

"Sorry, Brooke and I-" he started apologizing profusely. Lately, he had been doing this a lot. He hated it when people ditched their friends when they got into a new relationship, but his new girlfriend, Brooke, was a little demanding and a lot high maintenance. She usurped most of his energy and time, not leaving very much for Trish, Dez and especially Ally. He actually felt pretty horribly about it, since her mom's homecoming was so important to her. He wanted to be there to help her with anything and everything, but instead he'd barely seen her at all in the past few weeks.

He conveniently left out the part on why he was late. He and Brooke had gotten into a fight over him performing for Ally's mom at the party, saying that he was too invested in Ally and would do anything for her, but nothing for Brooke. They'd argued for an hour before he just drove off. She'd already sent him a dozen angry texts that he had ignored. Where was the sweet, shy girl who had kissed him under the starlight?

Ally cut him off. "Forget about it, we have so much to do!" She ran about, rearranging things and setting a big vase of flowers out on the counter. She looked like a nervous wreck, he was surprised she wasn't eating her hair by the mouthfuls.

He walked over to Dez and Trish, holding out his hands to hold the ladder steady. "Hey guys, sorry I wasn't here to help earlier. I'll get there extra early tomorrow to help Ally set up for the party."

"Why are you late? Where have you been?" Trish interrogated, a grim line on her face. For some reason, over the past few weeks, Trish had totally been a bitch to him. Out of nowhere. And uncharacteristically, she wasn't saying much about it, so he had no idea what the deal was. It was awful to be on Trish de la Rosa's bad side; he felt like he had to sleep with one eye open at all times.

"Sorry, I had to drop Brooke at her hair place so she could get it cut for tomorrow."

"Oh, you're bringing her?" Dez asked dejectedly. Even Dez had made it pretty clear that he wasn't the new girlfriend's biggest fan, which was completely out of character for him. He typically supported Austin's every endeavor. It was saying a lot that he couldn't get behind Austin's new relationship.

Austin huffed, "Well, she's my girlfriend, so yes, I'm bringing her to a party where I'm performing."

Dez shared a look with Trish. They did not like Brooke. Actually, they couldn't tolerate her…at all. Trish, because she knew she was a dirty imposter, and Dez because he thought she was a crazy bitch. The girl had blown into their lives, and now practically owned all of Austin's time. She had thrown a big chink in the Team Austin machine. She was demanding, petulant and insanely clingy. Not what anyone had expected from Austin's perfect Juliet at all.

And even though they'd kissed on multiple occasions, Austin hadn't been able to appreciate the spark like he had before. It didn't feel any different than kissing any other girl, which to him, any opportunity to do that was great, but she was supposed to be the one with whom he shared that special spark. He was more than a little let down. She was really hot, but it just felt strange. She used a little too much tongue and was like super aggressive. Maybe he had to be drunk or something. That was kind of depressing to think about. He had to be drunk to enjoy kissing his girlfriend.

Dez and Trish went back to helping Ally set up as Austin milled around aimlessly. He watched enviously as the three laughed at some inside joke that he wasn't apart of. He felt disconnected to his friends ever since he started dating Brooke. In all honesty, he wasn't feeling it at all, but he had made such a big deal out of it that he couldn't just dump her after this whole big search. He hadn't been the only one with expectations, it felt like the whole world did. Everyone wanted their Romeo & Juliet love story to last.

The worst was that he felt she was driving a wedge between him and Ally, she was so jealous all the time of their songwriting partnership and the time they spent alone. She talked shit about Ally incessantly, her insecurity manifesting itself in the ugliest of ways. She insisted on crashing all of their songwriting sessions, which meant they couldn't get anything done because she was a huge distraction. Ally couldn't write under pressure, and he couldn't enjoy himself while Brooke yammered on about whatever inane thing she wanted to yammer on about.

Ally shrieked, "MOM!" She ran into her mother's open arms, hugging her tightly. Her friends collectively "awww"-ed in the background. "I'm so happy you're home."

"It's so good to see you, honey. I missed you so much." The two broke and Mrs. Dawson noticed the three expectant faces waiting to be acknowledged. "Hi guys."

"Welcome home, Mom!" They all shouted in unison as Ms. Dawson clasped her hands to her chest.

"Well, I know you," she said walking over to Trish and giving her a hug. "But who are these two guys?"

"Mom, this is Austin and Dez," Ally introduced. She gave them both quick hugs.

"Well, Austin I have heard a lot about you from Ally. It's so nice to finally meet you."

"It's great to meet you too, Ms. Dawson." He noted how similar her mom was to her, down to the warm, dark eyes and gently curled hair.

"I'm so glad you're performing at my party tomorrow," she continued, giving Ally another squeeze. She smiled brightly down at her daughter, and he noted that their lips curled the same way, too.

"No problem, anything for Ally. I can't wait to premiere our new song at the party," he put his arm around his friend and pulled her in for a side hug, giving her waist a little squeeze. Her cheeks turned pink instantly, and this was not lost upon her mother.

Her mother flashed another big smile. "Can't wait to hear it. And Dez, Ally told me you were quite the dresser." Dez looked down at his rainbow colored pants and yellow sweater, grinning widely.

"Thanks, Ally," he stated bashfully, shuffling his feet back and forth.

Trish interjected, "Well, we'll leave you two to catch up, we'll see you later, Ally." The three teens left as Ally enveloped her mom in another big hug.

"I have so much to tell you, Mom," she gushed, pulling her mom into the store.

"Well, why don't you start with you and Austin." Her mother's eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Ha, what about me and Austin?" Ally asked, her voice slightly breaking.

"Ally, I study animal behavior. You don't think I would notice how you two look at each other?"

"H-How do we look at each other?" she stuttered.

"Like you're the only two people left on Earth."

"Mom…he has a girlfriend," she resisted futilely.

Her mother kissed her on the head, placating her for a second. "Okay, okay, we won't talk about it. But you do look cute together, and his eyes were twinkling pretty hard when he was looking at you." She smoothed Ally's little flyaway hairs on her head, thinking to herself how much her daughter had grown in the short time she had been abroad. It was only yesterday when they had been rehearsing The Butterfly Song together for the kindergarten pageant and now she was a young woman and they were talking about boys.

"Oh my gosh, Mom." Ally's cheeks were burning by this point.

"Really. I mean, he wasn't looking at Trish that way, and you weren't looking at Dez…" she trailed off.

"Eww, gross, Mom!"

"I'm just saying." Penny put her hands up in surrender.

Ally changed the subject, she would not be discussing the topic of Austin Moon, especially not with her mom. Everyone else was obsessed with him, she didn't need her to be, too.

* * *

The three teens watched as Ally and her mom shared an embrace through the windows of the storefront.

"Ally looks so happy," Austin thought out loud.

"Yeah, well she deserves it," Trish retorted with a snort of derision.

Austin stopped in his tracks and turned to face the shorter girl. "What is your problem, Trish?"

"My problem? My problem?" she asked incredulously. Dez stepped back, safe out of her fire zone.

"Yeah, you've been all bitchy towards me for like the past few weeks and I'm kind of getting tired of it."

"Well, I'm not the one who is dating some sort of psycho crazy girl who treats my friends like shit, Austin. You are right, Ally deserves to be happy, and how could she be when you're dating that horrible phony." Trish's jaw clenched shut before she could say anything else.

"What are you talking about?" Austin demanded, his tone sharp.

She recovered from her slip. "She is straight up unpleasant, Austin. She treats us like dirt, especially Ally. Ally hasn't done anything to her, she's been nothing but nice and understanding and sweet to her, and your _Juliet_ has made her life pretty miserable."

He winced, the truth cutting him like a rusty knife. "Look, I know Brooke is demanding, and a little unpredictable with her words…"

"A little?" Dez quipped, getting a warning glance from Austin.

"But you all haven't had enough time to get to know her. She means really well."

"Have you? You jumped headfirst into this thing with the assumption that she was this incredible, magical girl you met at a party, but how well do you really know her? Do we really know if she's the girl?"

"She knew all the details, Trish," Dez answered dejectedly.

"Yeah, well, something doesn't add up. She's not the sweet girl you described her to be. And so what, you had one moment with her. Moments can be fleeting, Austin. There are lots of things that add up to make a relationship."

"Not if it's the perfect moment," he argued, still trying to justify his relationship. And that's what it was, _his._ Not Trish's, not Dez's, and not Ally's.

"If she were so perfect, if she were so fan-fucking-tastic, how come you look so utterly miserable whenever you're around her?" She stomped off, before he could even formulate a response. Which was good because he simply didn't have one.

"What about you, Dez? You want to add to that?" Austin questioned.

"Man, you're my best friend and I know you want to believe in this. But sometimes, you have to go with your gut. I know that you're not feeling this. Even if she was that girl, she's not _the_ girl for you. She doesn't make you happy, and as your best friend, I just want you to be happy."

He walked off, leaving Austin alone. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he ignored it, yet again. His shoulders slumped as he plopped down on a bench outside of Sonic Boom. He looked back inside to see Ally animatedly gesturing as she no doubt was telling her mom all about the adventures she had been having. She was so full of joy, the sparkles in her eyes vibrant and dancing. Seeing her look so happy warmed his soul. He wanted to feel the way she looked.

She caught his eye through the window and waved enthusiastically, her face bright and smiley. His heart thudded in his hollow chest; it tugged so much it was almost painful.

He tried to ignore the question that persisted in his fretful mind. He tried to push the thoughts out, but he couldn't win the battle against his heart. With every beat it seemed to thump out the same query.

Why couldn't his Juliet have been Ally instead?


	7. little star

A/N: I'm overwhelmed by all the reviews for the last chapter, thanks for the positive comments, maybe I can get to 100 with this chapter? The moment you've all been waiting for is upon us, Austin finally gets it, hopefully you all like the way he finds out. Only two more chapters after this one, I think, thanks for reading, and happy Austin and Ally day!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rating: T

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_looking for the one tonight_

chapter seven: little star

He watched as Ally flitted around, adjusting the decorations, refilling the refreshments and chatting with the guests. Her hair fell over her shoulders upon a simple green and black striped dress that hugged her petite body perfectly. Her eyes shone brighter than ever. Austin had never seen her so happy. He watched as she did her best impression of a Tazmanian devil, running all over the place to make sure everything was running smoothly. She was trying so hard to make everything perfect for her mom, so he had to be perfect for her.

"Hey, slow down, Ally, enjoy the party." He grabbed her arm and felt her shiver. He stopped her in her place and put both of his hands on her arms, moving them up and down to create some friction. Goosebumps appeared on her skin and she broke from his grip. "You should put a jacket on, you look cold."

"Hi, Austin," she said breathlessly. "So much to do. No time. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, hope your mom likes it. I think this is our best song yet, Ally."

"Of course, she will love it. I'll go let her know that you're ready."

Austin headed backstage to warm up before his performance. He jumped up and down to get his blood flowing and his heart pumping. He tried to get all the jitters out. He was more nervous than usual. He had a restless night thinking of all the stuff Trish had said about Ally and Brooke. He thought of kind, giving Ally. His sweet friend who hid her feelings about his girlfriend because she thought he was happy. He thought about how truly unhappy he was being with Brooke. Mystery girl or not, she wasn't the one for him. He just wasn't feeling it.

He'd had the preemptive break up talk with Brooke earlier, and immediately felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. She had not been pleased, to say the least, and he would bet that she wouldn't give up without a fight, but he didn't owe her any explanation. He didn't owe her anything. And now he felt free, lighter, ready to take on anything.

He played with his wishbone necklace anxiously, sliding the charm back and forth a little too aggressively as it snapped from the chain and slid out of his hands. He crouched down on the floor, feeling the ground for it. He heard two female voices nearing as his hands clasped around the piece of metal.

"Are you sure you don't want to introduce Austin?" Penny asked her daughter as they approached. He waited with slow deep breaths, even though he had no idea why he was hiding himself from them.

Ally rolled her eyes. "Mom, stage fright, hell-o."

"Well, I just figured you'd want to, you two would look so cute together on stage."

"Mom!" Ally shouted with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"What? You two are adorable together. You like him, and he clearly adores you. Own it. Besides, he just looks so handsome tonight, I know you think so," Ms. Dawson suggested with a sly wink.

"Oh my god, I can't even right now. Can you just go out and introduce him and be a normal person?" she pleaded, her cheeks on fire.

Penny hugged her daughter and smoothed her hand across her back. "Okay, I won't embarrass you, sweetie."

Austin's pulse quickened and his breath hastened as he crouched down in his hiding spot. Did Ally like him? His stomach fluttered a little bit with the realization affecting him more than he thought it should. He hoped she thought he was cute. But why did that matter? Of course he adored her, she was his best friend. They hung out all the time. Did that really translate to people as him having feelings for her?

He guessed he kind of did have feelings for her. Hadn't he wished that she were his Juliet? Didn't that subconsciously mean that he wanted to kiss her or date her or something? He was more confused than ever, and this wasn't going to help him get through this performance.

He stomped his feet loudly as he emerged from his hiding spot, to alert Ally's mom of his presence.

"Austin?" Ms. Dawson called out.

"Yeah! Hey Ms. Dawson!" he greeted with a nervous hug.

Her brow wrinkled with a slight hint of concern. Moms, they always knew when something was up. She stated deliberately, "I'm going to introduce you now…ready?"

"Yeah, of course, born ready."

"Okay. Break a leg, I'm sure you're going to do great!" she enthused, stepping out on stage.

He heard the audience cheer as the curtain opened, and he stepped out into the spotlight. This was typically the most invigorating moment of every performance, when he looked out at the crowd right before he started to play. Tonight, as he looked at Trish, Dez, Ally's parents, Megan, Nelson, and others who waited for him to begin, he realized that actually, the most invigorating, energizing moment of every show, how it had always been, was the moment his locked eyes with Ally. It was his pre-performance ritual to look at her for her sign of acknowledgement. That's when everything felt right.

"Thanks for coming out and supporting Ms. Penny Dawson tonight everyone! Let's hear it for her and her book, it's awesome!"

The music was cued as her face shined up towards him, her foot tapping along with the beat. He started to strum, his fingers moving automatically. He didn't see anyone else in the crowd as he couldn't take his eyes off hers. It was a miracle he could even remember the lyrics to his own song, but somehow he opened his mouth and the words flowed out seamlessly.

_Looking for the one tonight, but I can't see you_

_Cause I'm blinded by all the lights_

_I can never get it right, I need a breakthrough_

_Why are you so hard to find?_

_I've been searching every city, never giving up_

_Til I find my angel, diamond in the rough_

_Looking for a signal_

_Baby turn it up tonight_

_Come on, get loud, loud_

_Let it out_

_Shout it out from the rooftops_

_Come on, get loud_

_Til they shut us down_

_Come on, get loud, loud_

_Let it out_

_Show me everything that you've got_

_Come on, get loud, loud_

_I need you now_

_Baby, let me hear it loud_

She mimed along with all the words, a silent encouragement to him. He jumped from one side of the stage to the other, dancing and working the crowd, their arms waving in the air as he sang out his heart. Somehow, his gaze never wavered from the girl sitting in the first row, and it felt like they were the only two people in existence. He felt that every little blush that caressed her face, every curl of her lips was just for him.

_Looking for the light to shine, to start a fire_

_Girl I'll be the first in line_

_Baby when ours stars align, we can get no higher_

_Just give me a sign_

_Looking for the one tonight…_

The crowd erupted in applause as he took his bow and waved to his adoring fans. He jumped off the stage and made a beeline for Ally, giving her a big hug, rocking her back and forth. He buried his head into Ally's hair, inhaling her into him. Trish beamed so hard she felt her jaw was about to unhinge. Megan furiously snapped pictures of the two, but they were oblivious.

When she broke from the embrace, she was giddy. "Thanks, Austin. That was perfect. The song sounds so good!"

"Again, thanks to you. You deserve all the credit," he mused, brushing a hair from her eyes.

With his arms lazily draped over her shoulder, he felt very calm and complete in that moment. Like he didn't need anything else. This is what contentment felt like, he thought. He smiled into her eyes, the stars in hers reflecting in his. They stared at each other for a beat too long, and they both felt the air change between them. Her face grew a little serious, the little vertical wrinkles appearing on her forehead.

His breath was slow and steady as he murmured, "Ally, I-"

"Austin-" she started.

The color flushed both their cheeks. He searched her eyes, finding feelings mirroring his own. He felt something heavy in his chest when he gazed into her depths, and he knew she felt it, too.

"Austin, I've got something to tell you," she began tentatively.

He felt a tap on his back and turned around, about to unleash on the person standing there, to find a person ready to unleash on him.

Brooke stood before him, her eyes red, her mascara caked around dried tears. She looked awful. He couldn't have been less attracted to her at that point if she tried.

"Austin-" she whined. He raised his hand to stop her from speaking. It was crazy how his name could sound so different spoken from her lips as opposed to from Ally's. How everything could sound so different, have such different meanings. He'd never noticed the difference before, but knew that he would notice it from this point on.

"Stop, Brooke. I don't want to hear it. It's not going to work out. I told you this earlier, there's nothing else left to say." He tone was firm and unyielding, he really didn't have time to mess around with this when Ally was about to say something important.

"But-"

"What do you want me to say Brooke? I don't want to be with you. You were right, maybe I had feelings for Ally all this time. You were right. Well, I'm not going to ignore my feelings anymore. Sorry if I was a jerk or if I wasn't honest with you, but I don't think I was even honest to myself."

She blinked as she tried to keep up with his train of thought. "Aus-"

"Were you even Juliet?" he asked dejectedly, already knowing the answer.

She sniffed a sob back, but shook her head no.

"Sorry, we're done here." He whipped around, awaiting a response to his declaration, but he found no one there. Where had Ally gone?

Brooke still stood, dumbfounded, stuck to her spot in front of him. Before she could open her mouth to protest, he quickly ran into Sonic Boom and up to the practice room. He burst into the room, not finding Ally, but her mother instead.

"Hey, Ms. Dawson, I was just looking for Ally. Have you seen her?" he asked expectantly.

"Oh no, I haven't. I thought she would be with you after that performance. You were fantastic, by the way. Thank you for performing."

"Oh, thanks. No problem, anything for you and Ally," he stated, sheepishly blushing as her mother raised her eyebrows.

She encouraged, "You guys make a great team."

"I know, there's no way I couldn't do it without her," he added, meaning every word.

Penny bit her lip, and replied, "Well, I know she thinks the world of you, Austin."

"I think more than the world of her, you have no idea, your daughter means everything to me," he confessed.

"Well, I just want to thank you. I know that my being away was really hard on her, and I'm glad that she had such good friends to support her and keep her company. I know her Dad did a great job, but I know that having someone like you around was invaluable. She really sees you as a great friend and supporter, Austin."

"I think of her as my best friend, too. There's no one I'd rather be around, really." He realized how much he loved the way that sounded. How had he been such an idiot this whole time?

Her mother smiled a very knowing mom smile. She set some things into a box and started to pick it up.

He stopped her. "Hey, I can get that box for you." He lifted the box easily into his arms and looked down at its contents.

A golden, feathered mask rested on top of a few copies of her book.

There was no mistaking that he'd seen that mask before. That was Juliet's mask! What the hell? He looked at the mask, then he looked at Ms. Dawson. Then he looked back at the mask. Eww. He knocked the disturbing Mrs. Robinson thought out of his head. Please let there be another explanation, he prayed.

He stammered trying to keep his cool, "Uhh, Ms. Dawson? What's this? It's really cool." He set down the box and gingerly picked up the delicate mask, the texture taking him back to that moonlit Miami night, transporting him to the moment where he tried to lift the mask and reveal the identity of his Juliet.

"Oh, that's a tribal mask I sent Ally from Africa a few months back. I wanted to set it out as a decoration tonight, but for some reason, she didn't want to, probably thought it was too precious or something," she stated plainly.

Austin felt like he was going to throw up. A million feelings raced through his body: confusion, anger, excitement, queasiness, insecurity. He didn't know what he felt, he was feeling so much. He walked down the stairs in a daze, his mind trying to piece everything together. What did it all mean? Ally was his Juliet? Why hadn't she told him? Did she regret it? Questions buzzed in his mind like aimless moths to a flame. He stood, surveying the partygoers down below, searching for that familiar face. There was only one person who could give him some answers, and unfortunately for him, she was nowhere to be found.

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So, review and let me know how you're all feeling?


	8. you and me song

A/N: Sorry for the length of time between updates, but this is almost the end and I had some bad writer's block with it. Hopefully you like it. Thank you all so much for the feedback and the encouragement to update, loved reading all the comments. I have my other story, _Everlong_, which I should be updating sometime this weekend, and I'll probably be starting another story soon too, so watch out for it. Thanks again and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, especially not Taylor Swift's Love Story, which just provided me a lot of inspiration.

Rating: T

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looking for the one tonight

chapter eight: you and me song

Ally sat on her bed writing random, incongruous lyrics in her songbook. Her mind was frazzled and what was normally an easy task for her became more like a chore. It seemed as if she couldn't connect two thoughts together. Her phone buzzed for the millionth time since she'd left her party, but she ignored it. Trish would have to wait until the morning for Ally to acknowledge the drama that had unfolded. And if it was Austin texting, well, she didn't even know what to say to him, so that conversation would have to wait, too. Maybe she could just avoid him forever, that would solve her problems.

She couldn't stop thinking about that moment with Austin during his performance. She had felt as if he were singing only to her, and for a brief flicker in time, they were the only two people left in the world. It was a confirmation of everything she felt. She had never been so sure of anything in her life. Everyone could feel it. It was finally real and not just in her head.

And it felt like he was about to confess something to her, maybe the fact that he shared some of her feelings? It was probably wishful thinking on her part, but that's all she had to go on. But then Brooke had shown up and Ally had run, avoidant and passive as ever. She couldn't see the happy couple together, knowing the truth about his phony girlfriend and all the lies she had been feeding him. Lies he had eaten up like they were pancakes. It hurt her more that he could actually be a victim of her deception, that he couldn't see through her and how awful she was to his friends. Truthfully, he probably believed the lies because he cared more about a stranger than he did about her, his songwriting partner. It was too disheartening for her to bear, so it was just easier for her to run and hide like the scared little kitten she was.

She shouldn't pass judgment on Brooke though, it's not like she was any better. Hadn't she done the same thing by lying to him? What was wrong with her? If she had just confessed to him that she was the mystery girl, things could be so different. Maybe they would be dating, maybe they wouldn't be. Either way, at least she would have done something about her feelings rather than sit on the sidelines and watch her destiny spin out of control.

When she had emerged from hiding, Austin was already gone, along with the moment that had passed between them. This was her life, all missed opportunities. It was completely her fault, but still, she wallowed in her cowardliness.

She let her imagination run wild. Austin was probably with Brooke somewhere celebrating, on a perfect date, enjoying the perfect starlit Miami night, and she was sitting in her bedroom alone. Story of her life.

Maybe this was all a sign. It was time to refocus her life and not make it about him so much. Nothing was going to happen on that front, so it was time to concentrate on other things. Her mom was back, she felt her confidence peaking. Maybe it was time to focus on Ally and get over her crippling stage fright. Oh, who was she kidding? She couldn't pour out her heart to her best friend, the boy she loved, how could she hope to share her feelings and connect with an audience? A girl could dream though. She and Austin could perform together, travel the world together, and continue writing songs together. They were better together, weren't those words they'd written about each other? Or were those all just frivolous thoughts that would never come to fruition?

A cool breeze blew through her open French doors and she jumped up to shut them. She stood for a moment, the allure of the full moon drawing her eye. She stepped out onto the small balcony. She leaned on the concrete railing, admiring the way the moonlight kissed the top of the trees in her backyard. She sighed thinking of her perfect moonlit kiss. It all came back to that moment, always perfectly recreated in her memory. At least she had that. She could not ever forget the way it felt to kiss Austin and she hoped she never would. She felt bad for all the future kisses she'd have because they'd all be compared to that one. She shivered a bit and turned to go back inside when she heard a rustling from down below.

She leaned over the balcony, almost shouting for her dad before she saw a familiar blonde-haired figure emerge from the shadows behind the rosebushes that lined the side path next to their house. It was long past midnight, and it couldn't be. Or it shouldn't be him.

"Austin?" she whispered, wondering what he was doing creeping around her backyard so late. It re-shattered her heart just to see him in his leather jacket, plain white t-shirt and jeans. He had no idea what he did to her. And he never would.

He wordlessly walked up to her balcony, looking up at her, judging the distance between them. He then disappeared back around her house towards the front. She craned her neck to see where he'd gone. He returned a few seconds later, carrying a ladder in his arms. What the hell? Was he like sleepwalking or something?

"Austin, what do you think you're doing?" she hissed. He propped up the ladder to her balcony with a sharp clank and she looked around worriedly, afraid her father would hear. She would have a very tough time explaining why Austin was climbing into her room at midnight.

He hopped over the railing in one fell swoop, his sneakers making a loud thud on the cement. He had an intense look in his eyes, one that both excited and frightened her. She suddenly became very aware that she was only wearing a tiny threadbare t-shirt and some thin sleep shorts. For the whole year they'd known each other, he'd never seen her like this, never had a reason to. Her arms instinctively covered her chest, hugging herself and keeping her closed off from him. She slowly moved backwards towards the safety and comfort of her room, but he kept walking towards her, still not saying anything.

"Austin, this is not a good idea for you to be here. If my dad finds out you're up here, I think this could end up very badly. He may not look like much, but he is like really into Tae Kwon Do."

"I'll take my chances, Ally." He spoke for the first time, his voice husky and low. Now she really felt subconscious.

"Shhh-What are you doing here?"

He ignored her question. "I learned something from your mom's book, you know. That I should stop thinking and act more on instinct," he said, his tone steady.

"How long have you been out there?" she hissed.

In fact, Austin had actually been in her garden for a little while, his legs having led him there after wandering around the deserted mall for a few hours. He hadn't known what to make of all the information he'd gleaned tonight. The mask, Ally, Juliet, it all made perfect sense, yet no sense at all. Why didn't she come clean? He'd been staring up at the window for a long time, with its light still strong, wondering if she was thinking of him. Was she thinking of them? Was there even a them? Because it didn't seem that she wanted that, the way she hid the truth from him.

He felt a little betrayed by her lie, but more hurt by the fact that she either regretted doing it or felt that she wasn't comfortable enough with him to tell the truth. But all those feelings turned to mush once he saw her emerge from her bedroom. She rested her chin on her palm so innocently, and let out a tiny sigh that melted his insides. With the curtains billowing around her from inside, an angelic glow was cast upon her. And so here he was.

He lifted a finger to her lips. "Shhh. I have to try something."

He reached up and cradled the back of her head in his hand, protecting it from the hard glass of her door. His other hand swept a stray hair behind her ear. "Austin-"

He leaned in, his breath hot on her cheek. Her chest rose and fell in rhythm with his, their breathing matched and bated. Her hands fell to his chest, not pushing him away, but almost daring him to break down their weak barrier to her. He gazed into those eyes, those eyes he'd looked into a million times, now seeing the eyes he had been searching for, for so long. She stood on her tiptoes to reach him, her body reacting to the proximity of his. Her reflexes took over, mirroring his, their bodies both knowing what to do next. Austin brushed his lips against hers ever so slightly, feeling her eyelashes flutter against the bridge of his nose as they closed softly.

Their tongues timidly danced, that familiar spark exciting every axon and dendrite in each of their bodies. His strong hand held her tiny waist firm, his hips holding hers firm against the wall as his their lips moved in concert, neither one wanting to be the first to break. He had only felt this feeling once before, and the connection was immediate and was all the confirmation he needed. His mind now knew what his heart had known all along, that Ally was his Juliet.

Ally's eyes were clenched shut. She didn't want this dream to ever end, and this was surely what it was, a dream. There could be no reality in which her best friend would scale her balcony and kiss her. It was like out of a movie or a play or something. Her fingers traced little circles along his back, memorizing every muscular indentation until her hand hit something feathered with a sharp corner sticking out of the back pocket of his jeans. Oh god.

His lips stopped moving and she felt the unbearable feeling of disconnectedness when his soft skin parted from hers.

After a beat, she finally opened her eyes, bracing herself for the worst. "Austin…where did you find this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Why didn't you tell me? How could you let me go for so long without knowing?" he questioned, his tone hushed but firm. She closed her eyes and remained silent, like she was willing the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

And that's when he decided that all of this whole thing, none of it mattered. The mystery Juliet was the past and this was the present. What mattered most at this moment, was that there was no other girl he wanted to be with more than_ this_ girl on the balcony.

This girl who looked terrified of what he was going to say next.

"I was scared." Her eyes immediately moistened and she blinked multiple times to keep the threatening tears at bay.

"Of what?" he questioned.

"That the kiss would affect us and make it weird, and then our friendship would be over. It was just better if you didn't know about it, then our partnership wouldn't be compromised. But now you know and you hate me. And I'm sorry."

"Ally, I don't care about our friendship." The pain in her chest stabbed. She felt like she was hemorrhaging from an open flesh wound.

Her head hung down and she tried to push him away. "Ally, look at me. Why would you think that anything would change?" He tipped her chin up to meet his own glassy eyes.

"This is what I was afraid of, you'd find out, you'd be horrified, and I couldn't lose you. You mean too much to me, Austin."

"You really think that I'd just give up on you? I don't care about our friendship because this, me and you, is more than just friendship. It always has been. You and me transcend friendship, songwriting partnership, whatever. We're way more than friends, we're a part of each other."

A single tear escape from her eye and he wiped it away with his thumb. He leaned his forehead against hers, staring deeply into her eyes.

"You have no idea, Ally, what it was like being cut out of your life, wanting to call you, see you, make you laugh, it was killing me not being close to you."

She let out a deep breath that she'd been holding in for months. "I'm so sorry I wasn't honest with you. I promise I won't do that again, I-"

He cut her off, saving her from more self-blame. "I adore you, Ally Dawson. I am completely and utterly floored by you and everything about you makes me happy. And you had no clue how disappointed I was with each girl who came along because they weren't like you at all. They weren't you. I was the one who was too stupid to figure out that it was you all along."

Her breath hitched in her throat as a sob escaped. She sniffed back more tears as he pulled her in for another tight embrace.

He continued to whisper in her ear, "I wanted it to be you this whole time. I wanted so badly for it to be you. You have no idea."

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling against his. "And if you even question how I feel about you? Every thing you feel, I feel times a million. You're the most interesting, beautiful, special, smart girl I've ever met, and if you think I'd just let go, I'm even more of a doof than you think I am."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, just holding herself to him as he buried his head into her hair, savoring the closeness. "Ally, you don't have to be afraid. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm never letting go."

"Even after I was such an idiot and made such a big mess of things?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter how we got here, just that it's you and me, together. It took a little while, but this is the way it's supposed to be. Ally, this is our kinda messed up love story, just say yes."

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Review? Epilogue coming soon...


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